


Words Can Wait

by Revakah



Category: Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: F/M, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Romantic Friendship, background Khresh/Tanik because I will paddle this raft into oblivion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:22:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27671972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Revakah/pseuds/Revakah
Summary: Vah'nya's Sight has faded, and it's time for something new.
Relationships: Vah'nya/Eli Vanto
Comments: 18
Kudos: 25
Collections: VahntoFest 2020





	Words Can Wait

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my contribution for Vahnto Fest off of twitter, I was going to do just friendship but then Vah'nya was like "have you seen Eli Vanto??" and here we are. Please see end note for headcanon details, inspired by Chaos Rising- no real spoilers I don't think but please be aware. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

So.

It’s over. Really, truly, over.

She is no longer a navigator.

She is a civilian, a passenger on a warship, out of place and feeling useless, her home no longer needs her. But she’s free. 

She feels...she doesn’t know how she feels.

Relieved, and guilty and guilty at feeling relieved that she never has to look out into the dark between the stars again and flinch from what may look back.

Disappointed, because she can’t help but feel that she’s let them down, all those who thought she might have the answer to the problem of fading Sight, but she doesn’t, she isn’t- she’s just like all the others. 

Excited, because now her path is hers to choose and hers to walk and hers to change if she wants to. She has options, real ones, and soon she will be joining her mentor Sarenth to adapt to life beyond the Sight and begin her life as Savahn. 

It’s been a strange, long day. Moving her things out of the navigators’ quarters and into one of the few suites reserved for the few diplomatic guests, the first time in her life she’s ever had a space all of her own. Other members of the bridge crew don’t seem to know how to react, unsure whether to offer sympathies or congratulations and compromising on neither. She’ll miss them all, and she’ll miss her sisters, and she will miss Ar’alani most of all, but there is a particular ache when she thinks of Eli.

Eli, her fellow outsider. Eli, who laughs at her jokes and flusters when she flirts with him. Eli, who tells her stories from his home planet and listens to her stories in return. Eli, who meets her in the observation lounge at the same time every week to drink tea together and watch the universe go by.

Eli, who is late.

Eli, who is late tonight of all nights, and what if it’s because she’s not a navigator any more and not a member of the crew, what if their friendship wasn’t a friendship but a matter of convenience and what if he was only interested in Vah’nya-the-Navigator and not Just-Vah’nya what if _what if-_

The door slides open with a soft hiss, and she feels ridiculous because of course he’s here. He’s flushed, laughing a little as he explains that he had to make their tea in a different rec room because the nearest one is occupied -Khresh and Tanik are “feuding” again- and that’s why he’s late. She teases him as they drink together, warm and comfortable and feeling so much lighter. It doesn’t matter who or what she is, they are here together right now. They talk for hours about everything and nothing. Eli might not be Chiss, he will never know what it is to be a navigator whose sight has faded, but that doesn’t matter. He _does_ know what it is to lose everything familiar in a moment and to have to adapt and thrive on an unexpected path.

His hand is stroking idly through her hair and it feels wonderful, little sparks of sensation sending shivers down her spine. He’s blushing again and she realises she’s purring, low and soft, as her own hand rests on his thigh. He blushes impossibly brighter when she invites him to her new quarters, pointing out that she’s a civilian now (and even when she wasn’t she didn’t care but _he_ did), but he accepts her invitation and kisses her once, twice, three times and again, before she takes his hand and tugs him to his feet.

Her new quarters are not far, but she doesn’t let go of his hand, both of them trying and failing to keep from laughing as they practically run along the corridors. The door has barely slid shut behind them before they are kissing again. She’s never been kissed like this before, never, and it’s new and it’s glorious and she never wants it to end, a steady heat burning low in her belly and building hotter with each new touch.

Everything blurs, kisses and touches and breathless words, and she’s on her back with Eli above her and her world is narrowed to nothing but the man in her arms, trailing kisses down her neck, over her breasts, her hips, her thighs and finally between her legs. Her fingers are tangled in his hair and she can’t do anything but moan for him, the pleasure winding tighter tighter _tighter_ and building to a crescendo that holds her taut before she breaks, head flung back against her pillow as she cries out his name.

She wants more, needs him, and it feels like eternity but it’s only moments before he’s kissing her, deep and possessive, and she thrills at her taste on his tongue. He’s trembling above her now and she can feel him pressing against her, hard and wet against her thigh. She asks him for what she needs and he gives it to her, sliding in and filling her, a moment of discomfort before she tells him to move and he does and there’s nothing but pleasure once more.

He makes her come again with his fingers on her clit and his mouth on her throat, before his movements become erratic and he follows her into bliss, her hands raking down his back and her name on his lips. They lie together, after, soft kisses and softer touches as sweat cools on skin and heartbeats slow once more, drifting sweetly into sleep. 

Safe. Together. 

They don’t need words for this, not now.

Words can wait for tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> Headcanon time- Thanks to Mitth'ali'astov improving things for the navigators, they are now much better prepared for their sight to fade. They have mentors- other former navigators that can understand exactly how they feel and can prepare them for life outside of their duties.
> 
> And if you're thinking, "wait- Sarenth? That's vaguely familiar?" and you read my Chaos Rising fic Familiar/Unfamiliar- that's why 😆
> 
> Thanks for reading 💜


End file.
